‘Enabling Customer-Centric Solutions with Strategic Talent, Industry Leadership, and Proven Approaches’: Simatree, LLC, a New York-based Consulting Firm, Plans to Expand into Multiple Markets

“We will continue to bring in trusted leaders to build out their respected industries.”

Finding the right people for your organization can be costly and time-consuming. Employers fully recognize the value of toptalent -- those individuals that can drive their business forward and boost the bottom line. Human resources departments face a tricky task when it comes to ensuring a flow of continual talent into the business and making sure they hire individuals who are suited to the job and the culture of the organization. In a buoyant job market, where employers are competing with one another for the most skilled and experienced staff, this becomes even more difficult.

In light of the foregoing, we’re pleased to present Simatree, LLC.

Simatree has established itself as a consulting and staffing practice designed to provide holistic services that an organization needs to succeed in a data-driven world. It is an advisory practice that blends a mix of technical prowess with people-focused service to achieve data-driven change. Whether it is designing a Chief Data Office, implementing a digital transformation, or improving operations, Simatree has the right approach and the people to help build a path and see it through to the finish. The firm has successfully worked with organizations across multiple industries in both the private and public sectors.

Simatree was co-founded in August 2018 by Patrick McCreesh, Dan McCreesh, Jay Williams, and Wesley Flores. The company is headquartered in New York and Washington, DC.

Simatree, LLC Co-founders (Wesley Flores, Jay Williams, Patrick McCreesh, and Dan McCreesh) spoke to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

How successful was Simatree’s first project? Share the experience, Patrick?

Our first client was a large retail organization that had already designated a data leader and made the investment in data and analytical resources. However, they were having trouble aligning the robust talent against internal customer (leadership) challenges. Our charge was to design an approach to improve the relationship between the tech-heavy data shop and the business units seeking to leverage data. This is a common challenge and we have seen it a few times since we started. The core question arises: “Now what? We made the investment in data, now what do we do with it?”

The clients appreciated the deliverables we designed and are evolving down the path we laid out for them, but as with all big organizational changes, this can sometimes be a slow process. The project was important for us because it was early validation of the strategy that a people-first approach would resonate in the market.

Jay, what kind of mixed responses have you received from your clients over the years? How have they helped you in shaping the services that Simatree offers?

We believe strongly that you need to meet organizations where they are and help them get where they should go. There is so much talk about the possibilities of data that many clients struggle with the realism of data and analytics. The truth is that few organizations are ready to move into the world of AI/Machine Learning on day one of their analytics journeys. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to get them to a place where they can ‘compete on analytics’. Too many companies in the realm of data and analytics focus on their solution to the detriment of the organization they are supporting. We have learned over the years that you need to meet clients’ demands while offering advanced techniques.

How do you stay relevant to the consumer interests and needs in this highly volatile market, Wesley? We have built Simatree as a strategy at the center of an ecosystem. The strategy is that by focusing on the clients’ needs for data and analytics we will develop the right approach, bring in the right people and processes, and leverage the right technology. We focus on the right people for the right work at the right time and we partner with a host of companies that allow us to deliver against this strategy. We select our partners as carefully as we select our staff and then we build deep relationships with them.

If a new tech solution emerges around business intelligence, we will learn it and be prepared to implement it. As new educational programs produce top talent, we will get to know them and the value of their students in the marketplace. We think this keeps us ahead of the curve.

Customer service varies, but companies can still be successful. How do you maintain your customers’ trust and loyalty, Dan?

We like to say that we bring our authentic and best talent to each challenge, and we stay until it is complete. Our best talent means we are not just bringing a developer or an enterprise architect to a job. We are bringing a seasoned, proven resource to the table. We think of these folks as the ‘Navy Seals’ of their profession. They are leaders with experience across the industry that not only provide guidance but provide a path. They stay until the job is done. This philosophy alone wins a lot of trust from clients. Then, we couple this with an authentic approach wherein we tell our clients what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. It is not always pretty, but we refuse to rubber stamp mediocrity.

Patrick, where do you see your company a couple of years from now?

Simatree will continue to grow as a top service provider in our core industries of financial services, insurance, retail, and the public sector, and continue to expand into healthcare. We will continue to bring in trusted leaders to build out their respected industries. Additionally, we will continue to evolve our delivery model to allow for even more flexibility in the delivery of services. We also like to pursue creative contract structures and will continue to find ways to collaborate with clients, partners, and staff to create winning environments for all three.

Leadership | Simatree, LLC

Patrick McCreesh, Co-founder: He provides executive leadership on strategy, analytics, and change management through consulting, facilitation, and research.

Wesley Flores, Co-founder:

He brings 20 years of experience in the full lifecycle of data as senior data management and analytics executive.

Dan McCreesh, Co-founder: He leads talent acquisition for Simatree providing its clients with tailored and unique recruiting services.

Jay Williams, Co-founder: He sits at the intersection of business and entertainment bringing more than 15 years of successful business leadership to Simatree. Jay is the host of ESPN’s The Boardroom and is an NBA analyst for ESPN.

Collectively, they form a formidable team with the right skills, relationships, and vision to drive their advisory practice.

“We need to hire quality people who share our values and will demonstrate these values to our clients and existing staff. Only when we do this can we ensure that our team grows to demonstrate the Simatree that we want to share with the world.”